Measles

Because of a measles epidemic involving more than 55,000 cases during the past three years, the U.S. Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics are urging that children receive inoculations at a younger age than ever before. They now suggest guarding against measles in children as young as 15 months, instead of waiting until kindergarten.

By Dasha Afanasieva ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A measles vaccination program in northern Syria has stalled amid disagreement over who should coordinate it, highlighting the challenges of establishing basic healthcare services in opposition-held parts of the country. Syrian and international agencies are struggling to combat the extremely contagious and sometimes deadly disease 18 months into an outbreak, even though hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses are...

Seven new cases of measles have appeared in DuPage County in the last week among children who had received insufficient vaccinations or none at all, public health authorities said. The children are 3 to 14 years old and live in three separate communities, said Shaun Nelson, disease control manager at the DuPage County Health Department. He said the department's investigators were attempting this week to gather information on the victims' recent travels, their contact with people who...

By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - Measles cases have hit a 20-year high in the United States, a troubling increase fueled by international travel by people who have not been vaccinated against the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. Between Jan. 1 and May 23 of this year, 288 measles cases were reported to the federal health agency, the highest year-to-date total since 1994, officials said. â??This is not the kind of record...

The recent outbreak of measles in Chicago has caused thousands of parents to fear for the health of their children. Several children have already died. But thanks to research preformed on several species of animals in the 1970s, there is a vaccine against this sometimes fatal disease. Animal activists like to state that animal research does not contribute to increased health, that better sanitation and nutrition are entirely responsible for our longer, more healthly lives. Do not believe them.

Mayo Clinic researchers stirred excitement on Thursday by saying they had treated a patient's blood cancer with a specially engineered measles virus, but even scientists involved in the work caution the response does not prove they have a cure. Many failed cancer drug trials involving hundreds or thousands of patients include results from "outliers" whose disease subsided inexplicably. So while the method employed by Mayo may provide a promising lead for study, it has...

Dr. Lonnie Edwards, Chicago's health commissioner, warned Thursday of a possible measles outbreak in the South Lawndale community and urged college students and adults to be revaccinated if there is any doubt about whether they have had measles. Edwards said his department has confirmed 2 actual cases and 12 probable cases of measles since Jan. 1. "These are the first indigenous measles cases among children in Chicago since March, 1987, when two cases were confirmed," Edwards said.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scientists have developed an experimental pill that helped protect ferrets from a measles-like virus, raising hope for a treatment to thwart the deadly infection in unvaccinated people who have been exposed to the virus, according to an international study released on Wednesday. In the study, all of the ferrets were infected with canine distemper virus, which is closely related to measles. When treated with the drug, known as ERDRP-0519, the ferrets...

(Repeats to add story label used by some customers) RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Brazils top biomedical research and development center announced plans on Monday to produce a combined measles and rubella vaccine for developing countries, mainly in Africa. The first Brazilian vaccine developed specifically for export will be made by Bio-Manguinhos, a unit of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda...

(Repeats to add story label used by some customers) RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Brazils top biomedical research and development center announced plans on Monday to produce a combined measles and rubella vaccine for developing countries, mainly in Africa. The first Brazilian vaccine developed specifically for export will be made by Bio-Manguinhos, a unit of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda...

A measles immunization clinic will be set up in Naperville Friday to help stem a measles outbreak that already has affected 40 children and teenagers from Naperville and Lisle, Du Page County health officials said. Parents of Naperville infants over 6 months of age who have not had a measles vaccine are encouraged to take their children to the clinic at the Barn, 421 W. Martin Ave., in Naperville, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Parents must make appointments for the vaccinations, which...

http://www.kidsdr.com The Dallas County Health department recently notified me about two cases of measles in the Dallas area (in June) and nine new cases reported in Fort Worth. All doctors in our area have been asked to be vigilant about vaccinating, as well as considering a measles diagnosis when symptoms are compatible with the infection. Measles is a viral illness that causes fever, runny nose, cough, conjunctivitis and a whole body red rash. Complications...

By Dasha Afanasieva ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A measles vaccination program in northern Syria has stalled amid disagreement over who should coordinate it, highlighting the challenges of establishing basic healthcare services in opposition-held parts of the country. Syrian and international agencies are struggling to combat the extremely contagious and sometimes deadly disease 18 months into an outbreak, even though hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses are...

By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed, Special to Tribune Newspapers | June 3, 2012

China Beijing authorities are considering a policy that would allow foreign tourists to explore the capital for up to three days without a visa. This would follow similar waivers in Shanghai, where visitors can roam visa-free for 48 hours, and Hainan, where tour groups can stay for up to three weeks. Europe The Centers for Disease Control recently issued a measles outbreak warning for parts of Europe, particularly Ukraine, Romania and the United Kingdom. The CDC has strongly advised travelers who...

Northern Illinois University has reported a measles outbreak on its campus in De Kalb. Five students and one guest attending a dance in Rockford on Oct. 21 have been diagnosed as having measles. The University Health Service has asked instructors to inform other students of their possible exposure. The health service also asked the students exposed to measles to check their immunization records. People immunized for measles after 15 months of age are presumed to be immune, the health...

http://www.kidsdr.com In April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 222 measles cases in the United States during 2011. That's a 15-year high and more than triple the number of measles cases typically reported in the United States. Fortunately, there were no deaths reported from the measles, although about half of those who developed the measles required hospitalization. The majority of the cases of measles seen in this country may be the result of foreign travel.

ACCRA (Reuters) - Seth Berkley was a young epidemiologist working for the U.S. State Department when he saw the graves left behind after measles swept through refugee camps in Sudan during the 1985 famine. "You'd see little shallow graves, lined up, one after the other - babies. That's what happens when measles goes through a nutritionally deficient community. It's a horrible disease and it spreads incredibly efficiently," he says. Now, as chief executive of the Global...